The Rise of the Phoenix
by NilesDaughter
Summary: Krisa Sato winds up in the Facility for illegal dueling and stealing. She befriends Talia Miyamoto and the other Signers. But shadows lurk beneath New Domino, waiting to destroy the world...Secrets wait to be revealed...JackxOC, YuseixOC.
1. NotSoWarm Welcome

Chapter One: Not-So-Warm Welcome

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!5Ds, and, technically speaking, I don't own Talia, either (she belongs to a friend of mine, Olive Pizza on , the one who wrote "The Sixth Signer").**

Krisa Sato looked around the rec room with a slight scowl on her face. Of all places, she was in the Facility.

_Well_, she thought, _I guess it is my fault for stealing that Runner…And for dueling illegally…_

She brushed her fingers across the fresh marker on her face: a small triangle slightly to the left of her left eye. She touched the other mark she now had: one under her right eye, almost shaped like a lightning bolt.

Looking around the room, she noticed that, for the most part, she was receiving hostile glances. She looked down at the floor, a chill running down her spine. She hesitantly looked up, and spotted an empty table at the far corner of the room. Sighing slightly in relief, she made her way towards it, avoiding eye contact with the other prisoners. She sat down at the table silently, and stared at it.

After some time, the prisoners resumed their activities from before she had come in. She looked up when she heard footsteps, and saw a somewhat attractive man approaching her. He had the same lightning-bolt-shaped mark under his right eye. He sat down across from her.

"So, you're new here?" he asked, leaning forward, resting crossed arms on the tabletop. His voice was cool and smooth, that of one who constantly flirted and hit on girls.

Krisa's mouth twitched angrily. She knew the guy's type, and she hated them, the smooth-talkers. "Yes," she said curtly, looking away.

He leaned closer to her. "Don't be like that. In a tough place like this, a delicate thing like you needs some sort of protection."

Krisa snapped. Her blue eyes flashing, she punched the guy in the face. He went flying backwards and crashed into a table. The room fell silent as the prisoners looked over to see what was happening. Krisa walked over to the guy that had flirted with her, who was struggling to sit up. She rested her foot on his chest, forcing him down to the floor again.

"How's that for a delicate thing that needs protection?" she asked through clenched teeth, before letting him up.

The door opened, and a couple of guards came into the room, immediately going over to her. The other prisoners quickly busied themselves with other activities.

"Come with us," one of the guards said, locking her left arm in an iron grip.

_Great._

"Mr. Armstrong, sir?"

"Leave her by the door."

The guard turned Krisa loose, and closed the office door behind him. She crossed her arms, waiting for the man in the chair to turn and face her.

"You've only been here a few hours, and you're already startin' trouble. I believe that's a record." The man turned, and Krisa was taken aback. His beard was midnight black against his chocolate-brown skin. He was _extremely _tall, and didn't lack in the muscle department.

However, she didn't allow her fear to show; instead, she kept her arms crossed, her expression hard. She didn't reply. If she had to, she could always keep up a fierce façade.

"That sort of behavior isn't tolerated around here, but you'll have to learn that lesson the hard way. You'll be sent into lock-down, and we'll see if that knocks a bit of sense into you."

Lock-down…That part of the Facility was only reserved for the most dangerous criminals…Krisa slowly uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides limply. Her hands curled into fists as she bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from pleading with the man.

_Crap…And I thought I had it bad when I got sent here in the first place…_

The guard that accompanied Krisa pointed the remote at the keypad next to the cell door, opening it. He shoved her into the cell. "Maybe this will teach you some manners."

Krisa looked around the tiny room. _Well, this is depressing_, she thought. There was a bunk bed in the corner, and a table and two chairs pushed under the small, barred window. Everything was a different shade of gray.

"Do I have a roommate?" Krisa asked the guard.

"No, so consider yourself lucky," he replied, closing the door.

Krisa approached the bottom bunk and flopped down onto the mattress, which wasn't very comfortable, with a sigh.

Krisa looked up when she heard the door open. She rose from the chair, hurriedly shoving her deck into a pocket on the inside of her jacket. A guard stood in the doorway with a purple-haired girl. He shoved her into the cell, and she fell to the floor, a hiss of pain escaping her lips.

"Enjoy your stay in Lockdown!" the guard said with a laugh, shutting the door and activating the lock.

Krisa glared at the door after him, then looked down at her new roommate. "Need a hand?" she asked kindly, extending her right hand towards the girl.

The girl looked up. Krisa saw she was pale, her violet hair falling to the small of her back. Her eyes were as bright and hard as sapphires, and a small sideways V-shaped mark was under her right one.

"I'm fine," the girl said brusquely, pushing herself to her feet, startling Krisa.

_Did I say something wrong?_

"Um…I'm Krisa Sato. And you are…?"

"Talia." She approached the bunk, and whipped around to face Krisa. "Are you top or bottom?"

"Uh…I'm on the bottom…"

Talia, continuing to ignore her, climbed up the ladder and lay down with a heavy sigh.

"Um…Nice to meet you, Talia," Krisa said under her breath and returned to her seat by the window as an awkward silence fell between them. _Okay, why does she hate me…? Wait a minute! I'm the one that's already in here, so she probably thinks I'm a major criminal! Gah! She doesn't trust me…Figures…_

"You don't trust me, is that it?" Krisa asked, glancing up at the top bunk to see Talia's reaction.

Talia propped herself up on her elbow and glared at her. "No, duh!" she replied bitterly.

"Well, I'm not supposed to be in Lockdown, at least. It was my fault that I ended up in the Facility. I only winded up in Lockdown when I punched a guy in the rec room…"

Krisa swore she saw a glitter of amusement in Talia's blue eyes, but it went away so quickly, she told herself it had just been her imagination.

"So, what'd you do to wind up in the Facility?"

"Oh, well…I got caught dueling illegally, and when I was running away from Sector Security, I hotwired and stole a Duel Runner. I left The Phoenix back in the Satellite."

"The Phoenix?"

"It's the Duel Runner I built for myself…It's also my dueling nickname."

"Wait, so shouldn't you have a charge for illegally entering New Domino, too?"

"Nope. I was raised in Tops. But when my parents died, I moved to the Satellite." Krisa couldn't be sure, but she thought that Talia might be warming up to her…

"Huh," Talia said, and returned to staring up at the ceiling.

_Or not…_

"So, uh, what about you?"

"I was falsely accused of murder," Talia replied in a tone that clearly expressed that the matter was closed.

"Oh."

"When do we go to the rec room?" Talia asked suddenly.

"In a couple of hours…"

"Alright." Talia turned on her side so she faced the wall.

Krisa sighed softly. _She does _not _like me. _She returned to the table and pulled out her deck. She tried to determine new strategies and combos she could use with her trusted cards.

"What kind of deck do you have?" Talia asked.

Krisa looked up in surprise. Talia had come down from the bunk and sat across from her.

"Oh…I, uh, prefer Phoenixes, but my deck also has a few Spellcasters…"

"May I?" Talia held out a hand, and Krisa placed her deck into Talia's hand. She flipped through them. "You've got some pretty good ones…"

"Thanks…What about you?"

"Well, I have a lot of different ones. My entire life revolved around dueling before I wound up here…I'm pretty good at adapting and creating strategies with different deck themes. I've got a Plant deck, a Dragon-Synchro, a Twilight, and a Warrior-Synchro."

Krisa nodded with a slight smile. She was definitely breaking through Talia's outer shell. They exchanged some stories of past duels and shared dueling tips, until an announcement was made that they could go to the rec room. As they made their way to the rec room, the two girls exchanged a smile.


	2. An Escape Plan

Chapter Two: An Escape Plan

**Disclaimer: I only own Krisa. Plus I got a little lazy with the duel between Yusei and Armstrong—I didn't go into detail like I usually do…**

Once in the rec room, Talia appeared to be looking for someone. After a while, her eyes lit up and she approached a table where three male prisoners were sitting at. One was an old man with wild grey hair and a yellow-and-green yukata. Another was a tall, muscular man with spiked blue hair and scars on his cheeks. The third was a young man with black hair and yellow lightning-bolt-highlights and blue eyes the same color as hers and Talia's.

Krisa felt like she recognized the young man, but she couldn't recall from where…She was also taken aback by the fact that he bore an uncanny resemblance to her…

"Yusei!"

"Talia…" Yusei rose to his feet and gestured for her to sit down with them. He noticed Krisa. "A friend of yours?" he asked Talia.

Talia looked at Krisa for a few silent moments before nodding. "Yeah."

"You should sit down, too," Yusei offered as he resumed his seat.

Krisa joined them.

"As I was saying, we're going to escape tonight. My roommate, Alex, has been working on a tunnel that opens up near the top of the Facility. He's gonna have some friends waiting for him tonight to jam the signals these markers transmit, and then they're gonna get us out of here."

"Tonight?" the old man squeaked.

Yusei nodded.

"It sounds pretty crazy, but I'm willin' to take the risk if it means gettin' outta this joint," the blue-haired man said, leaning back against his chair with crossed arms.

"Talia, are you in?" Yusei asked.

She nodded.

Yusei turned to Krisa. "What about you…uh…?"

"Krisa," she offered.

"You in?" Yusei asked.

"Definitely."

"Then it's settled. We're breaking out of here," Yusei said with a smile.

A purple-haired guy approached them.

"Alex," Yusei greeted.

"You must be a popular guy," Alex noted.

"Well, I was only expecting one,"—Yusei nodded to Talia—"but it turns out some of my other friends ended up in Lock-Down. And I've made a new friend." Yusei finished with giving a Krisa a smile.

Alex stared at her. "Yeah, you're the one who punched my friend."

Krisa flushed and looked away.

Alex looked at Yusei and Talia quizzically. "Are you two dating, or something?"

The two of them turned cherry red, and the blue-haired guy snickered in amusement.

"Of c-course not!" Talia finally managed to sputter. "I m-mean, we only met yesterday!"

Alex shrugged. "It doesn't take much."

Yusei and Talia were speechless as they scooted away from each other slightly.

"Okay, whatever. Anyway, I've swiped a key card to get you guys out, but then we all have to go back to mine and Yusei's cell, since that's where the tunnel is. Catch y'all later." Alex left, and the table fell into an awkward silence.

* * *

Later that afternoon, there was a commotion out on the bridge. Krisa and Talia exchanged confused looks and went over to the barred window to see what was happening.

Yusei's friends, the blue-haired guy and the old man, Tanner and Yanagi, were surrounded by guards, their arms pinned behind their backs. Chief Armstrong was in front of them, looking smug as he stroked his beard.

"I'll ask you one more time—where did you get those knives?"

"What are you talking about, Armstrong?" Tanner asked, and he was rewarded with a blow to the gut. He doubled over, wheezing.

"I know you two didn't those knives by yourself, so who helped you?" Armstrong addressed all the inmates. "Which one of you punks helped these two sneak knives into their cell!"

There was silence.

"A card key has gone missing, and these two were discovered to be hiding knives in their cell. So who helped them? Who here has the stolen key card?"

No one answered.

"If none of you confess, all of you are going to Lock-Down! And I mean the _real _Lock-Down, where there is no rec time, one meager meal a deal, and you're sleepin' with the buggies…No one in all of New Domino knows about the place!"

A chilled silence filled the surrounding cells.

"Now, who did it?" Armstrong demanded.

"You and I both know there wasn't a crime committed!"

"Was that Yusei?" Krisa whispered.

"I happen to know you're pretty close to these two, Yusei. Maybe you're the one who helped them."

"I didn't do anything wrong, and neither did they!"

"Fine. If none of you will admit to your crime, we'll start movin' you all to the cellars!"

"I'll make you a deal. I challenge you to a duel, and if I win, no one goes to Lock-Down, and you let my friends go. But if you win, I'll confess to this so-called crime, and you can send me to Lock-Down for as long as you like."

"And why would I want to do that? Either way, you'll still end up in Lock-Down."

"I know Goodwin put you up to this, and I suspect he'll reward you greatly if I lose this duel."

"You got yourself a deal, Yusei! I'll give you five minutes for goodbyes. Besides, I'd like to finish my lunch."

Tanner and Yanagi were turned loose, and Armstrong walked away, laughing. All the locks clicked. Krisa and Talia hurried over to Yusei's and Alex's cell.

"What were you thinking?" Talia demanded. "You know Armstrong will never keep his end of the bargain!"

"I know my chances are slim that he'll keep his promise. But I couldn't just sit there and let him punish all the other prisoners for something they didn't do."

Krisa smiled slightly in approval. She agreed with Yusei's opinion.

"Well, you're going to need to borrow a deck…" Talia said, pulling out a deck from one of the pockets on her denim skirt, and handed it to him before giving him a hug. "Good luck."

"Don't lose, Yusei," Krisa said, and she and Talia left, returning to their cell. "What about the escape plan?" Krisa whispered to Talia on their way back.

"It's probably not going to happen now. But that doesn't really matter at this point. What matters is that Yusei win this duel."

When they returned to their cell, Talia went to watch the duel through the barred window, while Krisa began to pace back and forth. After a while, Talia gripped the bars.

"Yusei!" She sounded terrified.

"What happened?" Krisa demanded, running over to the window in time to see Yusei getting electrocuted by the chain that was attached to his duel disk.

"That…monster! I swear, if I ever get my hands on that—" Talia growled, letting her threat hang on the air.

The door for their cell clicked, and a guard walked in. "Miyamoto, you have a visitor."

Krisa raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Goodwin," Talia muttered under her breath, eyes blazing, and after casting a pained look after Yusei, turned away from the window to follow the guard.

Krisa watched her friend leave, then turned her attention to the duel. She bit her lip as she watched Yusei get shocked again. He then managed to destroy one of Armstrong's monsters, but the Chief didn't receive an electric shock. Krisa gritted her teeth.

"That cheater!"

Krisa looked away, and began to pace once again, squeezing her eyes shut whenever she heard Yusei scream in pain from the electric shock. After a while, Krisa jumped to her feet when she heard Armstrong cry out in pain. She ran to the window in time to see Armstrong get shocked by electricity. Krisa smirked, and wondered who had fixed the "problem" with his duel disk.

Armstrong got to his feet. "Who's responsible for this?"

No one answered, though Krisa could sense the approval among the inmates.

Armstrong growled, and tried to back out of the duel, but Yusei taunted him a bit, and then the duel continued. After watching for a while longer, and couple of guards approached Armstrong, with Alex between them.

"Sir, we found this man in the control room, with the conduits that control the electricity severely damaged!"

"Alex? What are you doing here?" Yusei asked.

"Well, let's just say I couldn't leave my friends behind," Alex replied with a grin.

"I'll deal with him later," Armstrong said, and returned to the duel.

Krisa watched, her anxiety level growing by the minute. But, in the end, Yusei was victorious. Armstrong gritted his teeth.

"Send them all to Lock-Down!" he growled.

The prisoners' protests filled the air like the angry buzzing of bees.

"But Yusei won!"

"Yusei goes free!"

"Mr. Armstrong!" a voice rang out.

The prisoners fell silent as a man approached the balcony. Krisa recognized Rex Goodwin easily enough, the sponsor of the Master of Faster, Jack Atlas…And the one who had framed Talia for murder. Krisa's eyes narrowed. What was he up to…?

"I saw the whole duel, and it appears the only one going away is you. If there is no trust between the guards and the inmates, how can the Facility be run effectively? Therefore, you are fired, Mr. Armstrong. Pack your things."

Armstrong hung his head.

Goodwin looked over at Yusei. "As for you, Mr. Fudo, you and your friends are released from the Facility." He turned and left.

* * *

The five of them—Yusei, Krisa, Alex, Yanagi, and Tanner—met up in the dueling arena within the Facility. Talia had not returned from her visit with Goodwin, and they did not know whether she had been released or not, or where she was.

"So, what now, Yusei?" Tanner asked.

"I have to get my Runner back, and then I'm going to look for Talia."

"Are you sure you're not dating?" Alex said, but Yusei ignored him.

"Well, in that case, you'll need this." Tanner handed him a card. "Go to a store called Bootleg, order some milk, and ask for Blister. He can help you get your Runner back. I overheard some guards talking about it, and it appears they have it locked up in the Impound Center."

Yusei nodded. "Thanks. And what about you?"

"Well, we're not getting out today, but we'll be released soon!" Yanagi said. "And before you go, Yusei, take this gift!" He held up a duel monsters card to Yusei.

"I can't take your card," Yusei insisted.

"Yes, you can!" Yanagi put the card in Yusei's hand. "I think you'll have better use for it than I will."

"Thank you."

"Mr. Fudo, Miss Sato, it is time to go." A guard approached to escort the two to the entrance of the Facility.

The two said goodbye to their newfound friends, and followed the guard. Once they were outside, Yusei turned to Krisa.

"So, I guess we go our separate ways."

"We'll run into each other again," Krisa said confidently, extending her hand.

Yusei shook it with a nod, and turned and walked away. It was then that Krisa realized where she recognized him from. Back when she first entered the Satellite, dueling gangs had been exceedingly popular, and she had had a run-in with one that called themselves Team Satisfaction…Yusei had been part of that gang…

* * *

Krisa retrieved her Runner from the Satellite, and took off down the street, heading back to New Domino, towards Tops. The highly polished building came into view, and Krisa sped up a little bit. It felt a little weird to be returning to Tops, where she had grown up. Her adopted parents were dead, but she knew that some of the neighbors still lived there…

She pulled into the garage, killing the engine of the Runner, and swung her leg over the body. She proceeded to wheel the Runner over to the elevator, and pushed the button for the top floor.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened to a familiar foyer. Krisa hoped they were home.

"Hello?" she called.

A head poked around the corner. The confused expression quickly changed to surprised pleasure.

"Krisa!" The green-haired boy tackled her.

Krisa laughed. "Long time, no see, Leo! Where's your sister?"

"In the living room. Come on!" Leo tugged on Krisa's sleeve, leading her into the penthouse apartment. "Luna! Guess who finally decided to come and visit!"

"Krisa!" Luna gasped, running over to give her a hug.

"Hey, Luna."

"Where have you been this whole time?" Leo asked.

"The Satellite."

"The Satellite?" Luna asked, eyes widening.

Krisa nodded. "And as you can probably tell, I wound up in the Facility."

"The Facility?"

"What did you do?" Leo asked excitedly. "Did you steal something really valuable? Are you a spy, like in the movies?"

As Leo prattled on about the possibilities, Krisa couldn't help but smile sadly. Leo and Luna had no idea about the harsh reality down in the street, or in the Satellite. They were protected and privileged here in Tops…

"Krisa? You look sad," Luna stated.

Krisa shook her head. "I'm fine. And you don't need to worry about how I wound up in the Facility. I've been released, so it's all good. Have you had dinner?"

The twins shook their heads.

"Then what d'you say I cook some up?"

"Yes!" Leo cheered. "I really missed your cooking when you had to—"

"Leo!"

"It's okay, Luna. I don't mind." Krisa smiled and patted her head. She headed to the kitchen.

It felt nice to be back.


	3. A Bit of Memory Loss

Chapter Three: A Bit of Memory Loss…

**Disclaimer: I only own Krisa.**

"Krisa! Hey, Krisa! Wake up!"

"Leo, let her sleep!"

Krisa opened her eyes, finding herself in a guest room in Leo and Luna's apartment. She sat up and stretched.

"Good morning, you two," she said with a smile.

"Hey, Krisa, could you make us some of your awesome pancakes?" Leo begged.

"She just woke up!"

Krisa laughed. "No problem!" She got out of bed and changed into her clothes before returning to the kitchen.

It felt like the old days, when Krisa was ten and in charge of babysitting the twins while their parents were away on some business trip or another.

As the twins ate—well, in Leo's case, scarfed down—the pancakes, Krisa wandered around the apartment to see if it had changed drastically since the last time she had been there. In the living room, she found a shrine to Jack Atlas. Leo's most likely. Krisa blushed slightly. Ever since she had run into Jack Atlas when he had been part of Team Satisfaction back in the Satellite, she had developed a crush on him.

"What are you lookin' at? Oh, Jack's the best Turbo Duelist, isn't he?" Leo came up behind her.

"Yeah…"

"Wouldn't it be great to duel him? Hey, Krisa, is that why you have a Duel Runner?"

"Not exactly, though I have been working on Turbo dueling…So, what have you and Luna been up to since I left for the orphanage?"

"Nothing, really. Mom and Dad are always going on business trips, though, so we're alone a lot. But we've been working on dueling. Look! Luna's been invited to be part of the Fortune Cup!" Leo showed Krisa the invitation.

"That's quite an accomplishment."

"Yeah, but she's too scared, so I'm going to take her place!"

Krisa laughed. "Good luck with that!"

"What? If I fix my hair, and put on some make-up, then I'll look just like her!"

Krisa doubled over with laughter. _It's great to be back…_she thought as she ruffled Leo's hair, _but I can't stay long. The Satellite's my home now…_

* * *

"Krisa!"

"What is it, Leo?" Krisa asked sleepily, sitting up and brushing her black-and-yellow hair out of her face.

"We found a guy down in the garage, and brought him up to the living room. He's pretty beat up, and so is his Runner."

"What?" Krisa asked, getting out of bed and following Leo to the living room.

On the couch was a young man with spiky black hair and yellow lightning-bolt-shaped highlights. Krisa gasped. "Yusei…" she breathed.

"Did you say something, Krisa?" Leo asked.

Krisa shook her head and approached the couch. "Has he been asleep the whole time?"

"Yeah. He was unconscious when we brought him up here. And his Runner's all beat up." Luna pointed to the red Runner by the elevator doors.

"Hey! I think he's waking up!" Leo exclaimed.

Krisa went to stand by the twins as Yusei stirred. He sat up, looking disoriented. "Who are you?" he asked.

Krisa blinked in confusion as Leo and Luna explained how they found him, and introduced themselves. Yusei should've known who she was…

"So, who are you, mister? What's your name?" Leo asked as Yusei reached over to pick up his deck from the coffee table.

Yusei looked up at Leo, confused. "I have no idea."

Krisa stared at him quizzically. _Memory loss…? _she wondered. _How hard did he hit his head?_

* * *

After Yusei had gotten up and had talked to Leo and Luna, finding out where he was, Krisa excused herself. It felt weird to see Yusei like this, and she had a gut-feeling she needed to let him get his memory back by himself. But she knew she'd probably let something slip if she stayed in the same room as him. Besides, she was still in her pajamas.

Krisa changed and returned downstairs, hearing Leo speaking.

"Does that help any?"

Krisa noticed Yusei tugging at the sleeves of his jacket. "Uh…"

"Try taking a deep breath and say, 'My name is…' and then say your name," Leo instructed.

"Leo, he's tried that ten times already, so it's probably not gonna work!"

"Play nice," Krisa instructed. She looked at Yusei. "Do you remember _anything _at all?"

Yusei shook his head. "No…But you do look a bit familiar…"

"That's probably a good sign…Now, the two of you be nice to our guest. I'm going to run out and get some groceries. Don't cause too much trouble." Krisa waved, wheeling her Duel Runner over to the elevator.

In the garage, she noticed a Sector Security car in the front. Officer Trudge, a man with a bad rep in the Satellite, was leaning against its hood.

"Damn it, what's he doing here…?" She looked upwards. "Is it because of Yusei…? Well, either way, I'm going around back…"

* * *

Krisa held a paper bag in her arms full of groceries, doing her best to ignore the glares and whispers that followed her as she made her way out of the store and back towards her Runner. She carefully strapped the grocery bag to the back of her Runner and boarded it. Just as she twisted the throttle, a car pulled up in front of her, preventing her from going anywhere.

"Hey! You're in the way!" Krisa called in irritation.

The passenger door opened, and someone stepped out and approached her. The man coming towards her was short, and the way his face was made-up gave him a clown-like appearance. However, he was anything but. His demeanor was commanding, and Krisa felt a slight chill run down her spine. He stopped before her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sato."

"Have we met before?" Krisa asked, wondering how he knew her name.

"No, but I have heard of you through the Director."

"Rex Goodwin?" Krisa was vaguely surprised. What interest did he have with her? How did he even know about her?

"Yes. He asked me to deliver a message." The man handed her a slightly heavy, cream-colored envelope. She opened it, and saw an invitation for the Fortune Cup, not unlike the one that the twins' had received.

"He wants me to duel in the Fortune Cup?" Krisa's surprise was not hidden in her voice.

"Yes, he does. He feels that you have great dueling potential. Oh, and another thing, Miss Sato. The Director would like to see you at his mansion tomorrow morning. He said that if you refuse, he can easily send you back to the Facility. Good day." The man turned away and went back to the car, which drove off once he was inside.

Krisa sat there for a few moments, stunned. She finally gathered herself together and kickstarted her Runner. She crushed the envelope in her hand as she sped towards Tops. What the hell was Goodwin doing? Was he just going out of his way to make everyone's life miserable? And what business did he have with her?

She shook her head angrily and slowed as she approached the building. Sector Security was overcrowding the area. She looked around, and smirked to herself, thinking it was a good thing she had lived here, or she wouldn't have known of the various entrances you could use without getting caught.

When she finally managed to get back to the twins' apartment, she saw Leo, Luna, and Yusei gathered in the living room.

"Can you please tell us your name?" Leo begged.

Luna glared at him. "He already said he doesn't think that's a good idea."

"Got your memory back?" Krisa asked, smiling.

Yusei nodded. "Nice to see you again, Krisa."

"You, too."

"Wait, you know him?" Leo asked.

Krisa nodded.

"Then what's his name?"

"Sorry, guys, but if he doesn't want to tell you, then I can't, either."

"Aw…" Leo whined.

Krisa made dinner for the four of them, and soon got the twins ready for bed. She went downstairs and found Yusei sitting on the couch, a half-finished Duel Disk in one hand, a screwdriver in the other.

"What are you doing?" She asked, resting her arms on the banister.

"I noticed their Duel Disks didn't fit properly, so I decided to make them custom-made ones." Yusei's voice was muffled by the screws in his mouth.

"You're really nice to those two."

"So how do you know them?"

"I used to live here, and I babysat them," Krisa explained as she went to sit next to him. "You're pretty good at mechanics."

He mumbled his thanks and continued working. Not too long after, two Duel Disks, one blue and one pink, lay on the coffee table. Yusei stood up.

"Do you know where some paper is?" he asked her.

"Hold on." Krisa left and soon returned with a piece of paper and a pen, handing them to Yusei.

He scribbled something on it and set the paper down by the Duel Disks, before going over to his Runner, already repaired to almost-mint condition. Krisa stood up.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I can't stay here. It'll just cause trouble for them."

"You realize that Sector Security is waiting to ambush you down there?"

Yusei ignored her and went to the elevator.

Krisa sighed and ran to her Runner, wheeling over to Yusei. "You're not leaving without me."

"But—"

"I wasn't planning on staying here too long, anyway. My home is in the Satellite, now."

"What about them?"

"I don't want to leave them. They're alone too much, because of their parents always being away…But I can't stay here, for the same reason as you…"

Yusei didn't reply. The elevator dinged, and the two squeezed into it, riding down in silence. The doors opened, and they stepped out into the garage, boarding their Runners. Krisa put on her helmet, and Yusei checked both ends of the garage, before kickstarting the Runner and leading the way out. Sector Security seemed to have cleared out, because they didn't run into any trouble…

A motorcycle cut in front of the two of them, its owner wheeling it around to face them.

"I was starting think you didn't like me!"

_Damn it, Trudge, what do you want? _Krisa thought angrily, swerving to the side as Yusei stomped on the brakes. She skidded to a stop a few feet away.

"I'm here to take you in, Yusei. You gonna come quietly?"

Yusei twisted the throttle, his Runner growling.

Officer Trudge grinned. "I was hoping you'd—" The headlights of a car blinded the three of them. "What the—?"

Krisa peered through the glare, noticing the same short man that had given her the invitation for the Fortune Cup coming towards them. She gasped in surprise.

"Officer Trudge, aren't you supposed to be guarding the Candles and Calendars kiosk at the Outer Rim Mall?" he asked mockingly.

"I didn't get your name, Shorty," Trudge growled.

The man took out a badge. "Special Deputy Lazar. I work for the Director General, and I out-rank you." Lazar laughed before continuing. "I'm here on official business, Officer, so I suggest you leave the area immediately."

"This punk's a menace!" Trudge insisted, pointing at Yusei. "He stole this Runner from the Impound Center and—"

"Officer," Lazar warned, "there's no room for street thief cops who don't know when to shut their mouths!"

"What kind of official business are you on?" Yusei asked coolly.

"Delivery, for a Yusei Fudo," Lazar replied, pulling out an envelope similar to the one he had given Krisa earlier that day, in addition to some sort of photograph. "We would like to see you participate in the Fortune Cup. If you refuse, the four people you see in that photo will take the punishment for the actions you took to obtain that Runner." Lazar turned to go, but noticed Krisa. "And don't forget that you are to participate as well, Miss Sato. And you have an appointment with the Director tomorrow. Have a good evening."

The car drove off, and Yusei crumpled the envelope in his hand, his mouth set in a hard line.


	4. Meeting with the Director

Chapter Four: Meeting with the Director

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds', only Krisa.**

Krisa parted with Yusei again the next morning. "I'll see you at the Fortune Cup, though," she said, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice.

Yusei nodded. "Thanks, Krisa. Later."

She waved as she boarded her Runner and left the Satellite, heading towards the most polished part of New Domino. She pulled to a stop outside of Rex Goodwin's mansion. She swung her leg over the body and looked up, a shiver running down her spine. The mere size intimidated her, but she was also disturbed by the fact that it belonged to the most manipulating man in New Domino.

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and parked her Runner in the front before going up to the large front door. She took another deep breath and knocked. A young blue-haired woman wearing a stylish variation of a suit opened the door.

"You must be Miss Sato. The Director is expecting you." She led Krisa through the grand hall, past a beautiful grand piano that stood in the corner, and up a staircase. They came to a stop outside of a dark wooden door. The woman knocked before opening it. "Pardon me, Mr. Goodwin, but Miss Sato has arrived."

"Ah, yes. Show her in, Mina."

Mina opened the door and gestured for Krisa to enter the office. Krisa hesitated a moment before doing so. The door closed behind her as she looked around. Goodwin sat behind a mahogany desk, and across from him…Krisa's breath caught in her throat, and the room seemed to be spinning. Jack Atlas, the Master of Faster, the young man she had had a crush on for three years, was a mere three feet away from her.

"You mind tellin' me what's with all the prisoners showin' up, Goodwin?" Jack's Australian accent broke her out of her reverie, and caused her to flush, acutely aware that she still had those markers on her face.

"Miss Sato here has also been invited to participate in the Fortune Cup. When she was younger, she seemed to be a dueling prodigy, but she hasn't been in any tournaments for a while. Isn't that right, Miss Sato?"

"Um, yes it is…" Krisa murmured.

"Puh…" Jack turned his back to her, crossing his arms.

"Jack, if you'll please excuse us. Miss Sato and I have some things to discuss…" Goodwin said, joining his hands together and resting his chin on them.

Jack rose to his feet and brushed past Krisa, almost roughly, as he left the office, leaving her slightly red in the face. The door shut, and silence filled the room.

"Please, take a seat." Goodwin gestured to the chair that had just been occupied by Jack.

Krisa sat down and steadily met Goodwin's gaze, quickly getting over her near-heart attack by seeing Jack again. "Why have you asked me to come here?"

"I'll be frank with you, Miss Sato. The Fortune Cup is merely a ruse. The true purpose of it is to discover the identities of the Signers."

Krisa cocked an eyebrow. "Signers?"

"It's difficult to explain…Long ago, the Signers were a powerful force to behold. They disappeared long ago, but due to some recent events, I've come to believe that they may have returned in this time."

"And why is it so crucial to identify them?"

"When they are all gathered together, they can bring a utopia to this world, Miss Sato." By this point, Goodwin had gotten to his feet and stood looking out the floor-length window that revealed the perfect skyline of New Domino. "A place where there is no difference between New Domino citizens and the people of Satellite."

"But what does this all have to do with me?"

Goodwin turned to face her. "By competing in the Fortune Cup, I am asking you for help to reveal the Signers' identities. I must locate them, and bring them together. I expect you to duel at the top of your game, because they must be pushed to their limits in order for me to determine if they are a Signer or not."

"Why should I?" Krisa was playing with fire by asking this question, but she had no intention of helping Rex Goodwin.

"You are so like Talia…Perhaps that is why she was so drawn to you."

Krisa gripped the armrests of her chair, silent.

Goodwin met her gaze. "If you agree to help me reveal the Signers, then I will see to it that you are cleared of all charges against you. Perhaps I can even give you something else you desire…"

Krisa bit her lip and looked down at her lap. Fully excused from her criminal charges…No longer being looked on with dirty looks…No longer mistaken for a Satellite resident, even though she _was _that now…And maybe, just maybe…

"I'll help you, Mr. Goodwin, but I'd like to ask…Um…"

"Yes, Miss Sato?"

Krisa flushed and said quietly, "I would like a chance to be able to spend time with Jack Atlas."

Goodwin was silent, and a slight chuckle escaped him. "Matters of the heart, Miss Sato?"

Krisa flushed even more and refused to meet Goodwin's gaze, fiddling with her fingers. Goodwin sat down at his desk again and looked at her.

"I will see what I can do, Miss Sato. If there's nothing else, you may leave. I'll see you again at the beginning of the Fortune Cup. Oh, and one more thing, please tell no one what I've told you."

Krisa nodded and made a hasty exit. It wasn't until she was outside, speeding away on her Runner, that she realized she hadn't once seen Talia while she had been there.


	5. The Fortune Cup Begins!

Chapter Five: The Fortune Cup Begins!

**Disclaimer: I only own Krisa. Talia, Gale Grahams, and Angie Smith are Olive Pizza's OCs.**

**Author's Note: Just to let everyone know, I'm using a few Japanese versions of some people's names, like Akiza/Aki.**

Krisa made her way through the Kaiba Dome, innumerable thoughts running through her head. She eventually found her way to the break room for the duelists when they weren't needed. When she got there, she noticed that there was some sort of commotion on the far end of the room. She noticed that a tall man with long black hair and russet skin was restraining a girl with purple hair. His grip seemed to loosen, and then she leaped forward, punching Jack in the stomach, making him fall to the ground.

"Talia!" Yusei's shocked voice rang out as he ran over.

_What the hell does she think she's doing? _Krisa thought as she also ran towards them.

"Let me at him! He deserves it! Let me go, Yusei!" Talia struggled against her restrainer, glaring past the tall man.

Krisa helped Jack to his feet, and her eyes widened when she noticed his bloodied face.

"Krisa!" Talia suddenly gasped as Jack shot her a glare and stalked off.

"Hey, Talia," Krisa said distractedly, flushing. "I'm, uh…I'm just going to go check on him…" Krisa flushed again and followed Jack.

She found him out in the hallway, pressing a handkerchief to his face.

"Dammit…What's her deal?" he muttered to himself, most likely referring to Talia.

"Um…Need some help?" Krisa asked hesitantly.

Jack looked up, and his eyes narrowed. "You, again?"

She flushed, embarrassed and hurt. However, she approached and held out a hand. "May I?"

"Tch…Fine."

Jack handed her the handkerchief, and she forced herself to concentrate as she worked on cleaning up his bloodied face. When she had finished, she took a step back. The blood had been cleaned up, but there were still long red marks on his face from Talia's nails. She looked around in her small purse and pulled out a bottle of liquid concealer that matched Jack's skin tone. She shook the bottle to mix it, and took out a small make-up sponge.

"No way," Jack said, backing up when he saw what she was trying to do. "There's no way I'm wearin' that."

"Okay, but I'm not sure what your fans will say if they find out you got all beat up…" Krisa said, starting to put away her supplies.

"Go ahead," Jack gave in after a brief moment of deliberation.

Krisa carefully blended in the make-up, and soon, it looked as if he hadn't been clawed at in the first place. Her cheeks turned pink as she put the concealer and sponge back into her purse. She turned to go, but a single word stopped her in her tracks.

"Thanks," Jack muttered under his breath, brushing past to get ready for his big entrance at the opening ceremony.

Dazed, Krisa returned to the break room just as Goodwin's assistant, Lazar, came in.

"Good morning, duelists," he said, sounding almost sinister. "We're ready for the opening ceremony. Please, follow me to the arena."

"Good morning, New Domino City!" the announcer exclaimed into his microphone, and this was met with deafening cheers. "Today, here at the Kaiba Dome, the Fortune Cup dueling tournament will begin to determine who will be the King of Dueling! But first, here's our current king entering the stadium!"

A roar filled the stadium and a fiendish-looking black-and-red dragon flew in to the sound of screaming cheers.

"Red Dragon Archfiend has taken flight!" the announcer boomed before cringing as the dragon roared again.

Suddenly, a white circular-shaped Runner entered the arena, zooming around the track, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

"JACK ATLAS! THE MASTER OF FASTER! DUELING CHAMPION OF NEW DOMINO!"

The Runner took a few laps around the track before heading towards a ramp that sent it flying into the air. The rider turned as they hit the asphalt, sparks flying as the Runner screeched to a halt. Jack Atlas stepped off, removing his helmet before waving to his adoring fans. He pulled a card out of his duel disk, and Red Dragon Archfiend disappeared.

"I'm Jack Atlas, the Master of Faster! And if any of these duelists think they have a chance at beatin' me"—he pointed to himself—"they're crazy!" The fans screamed their agreement. "Now, I'm goin' to hand off the spotlight to my good friend, Rex Goodwin, who's sponsorin' this tournament!"

The crowd roared again as fireworks filled the sky, and a few cheerleaders added their voices to the din as Rex Goodwin appeared through a trap door in the platform in the center of the arena.

"Greetings, fellow citizens of New Domino," his smooth voice echoed. "Today is the beginning to a thrilling tournament. Several duelists from all over the world have been invited to this competition due to their notable dueling skills. Our announcer will introduce them, and then we will begin the duels." He stepped back to take a seat.

"Thank you, Director Goodwin! Let us give a hand for our contestants!"

The crowd cheered as all the contestants appeared on the platform by another trap door. The announcer started going down the row of duelists, introducing each one.

"First is the one and only Shira! It is said that because of his cold-hearted skill, anyone who duels him never does so again!" A man in an ebony cloak with orange flames adorning his shoulders took a step forward. A roar echoed through the dome.

"Coming all the way from South America, here's Greiger!" the same man that had restrained Talia earlier was recognized by another deafening cheer.

"She's a prodigy, dueling since she was three! Don't be deceived by her size, because she can certainly pack a punch! Here's Miss Luna!" Leo stepped forward, now a mirror image of his sister, though he had also applied pink blush and purple eye shadow. He batted his eyelashes and curtsied, sending the crowd into yet another frenzy. For those who knew it was really Leo, they found it hard to contain their laughter.

"Coming from the Renaissance Age, we have a duke of duels, Gill de Randsborg!" A man with copper skin and a gray-green mustache, donned in golden armor, stepped forward as the crowd applauded.

"A lady who's certainly worked her way up to the top of the totem pole, Gale Grahams!" A woman in a black business suit and short, forest green hair stepped forward, pushing her spectacles up the bridge of her nose, a stern expression on her face the whole while.

"Looks like we've got a surprise returnee! She's been out of the papers a long time, folks, but it looks like The Phoenix has decided to come back to the Fortune Cup! Here's Krisa Sato!" the announcer cried.

The cameras zoomed in on Krisa's face, and there were mixed emotions throughout the crowd.

"What? Krisa 'The Phoenix' Sato?"

"Huh? But it looks like she's from Satellite!"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Krisa bit her lip and clenched her fists angrily.

"The man with the itch for profiling. Here's Mr. Profiler himself, Commander Koda!" A man in a grey suit with long, greenish hair stepped forward, the lens of his glasses flashing white in the light.

"Uh… A pretty girl with a pretty face, Aki Izayoi!" A young woman stepped forward, wearing a maroon dress that was accented with gold, black, and cream, in addition to black tights and red heels. Her silky, burgundy-colored bangs were rolled up in a metal trinket, the rest of her hair cut short. Her gold eyes showed no emotion as the jade pendant around her neck glittered. She was greeted by a small smattering of applause, since no one seemed to know her.

"Here's the man with the P.H.D.! Not only does he have skill in the medical field, but he also has skills in dueling! Here's Professor Frank!" A thin man in a black kimono stepped forward and inclined his head, which was covered with a black cap.

"And here's the girl with the boots and certainly the abs. Angie Smith!" A young muscular woman stepped forward, pulling her blonde hair out of a red bandana and flexing her muscles for the crowd. When she stepped back, she smirked at a surprised-looking Talia.

"Next is Mr. Yusei Fudo!" Once again, the crowd protested, realizing Yusei was a Satellite criminal.

"And Miss Talia Miyamoto is our last contestant!"

The cameras zoomed in on Talia's face, and the crowd erupted with anger.

"She's a murderer!"

"Why can she compete?"

"Bring her back to Facility where she deserves to be!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Krisa saw Talia was trembling as she looked down at the ground. Yusei inched closer to her and took hold of her hand. Talia stopped trembling and looked at Yusei with a small smile of gratitude. Krisa smiled to herself over the cute scene she had just witnessed.

Greiger moved out of his place in line and went over to Goodwin. After a moment where the South American glared at the Director, he asked for the microphone. Goodwin nodded his consent.

Greiger cleared his throat. "Good day, everyone," he began, looking around the crowd of people. "I understand that you may have some prejudices against the three contestants with markers…" The crowd roared their agreement. "But this is a dueling tournament. Dueling brings us all together, all races, all cultures, all living styles. I do not see three criminals beside me," he said, extending his arm and gesturing to Yusei, Talia, and Krisa. "Instead, I see three duelists with great enough skill to be welcome at the Fortune Cup. And I will treat them with the same respect I give everyone else. Thank you." Greiger handed the microphone back to Goodwin.

Goodwin stood. "I agree with the words of our very wise contestant, Greiger. Dueling unites us all. Try not to think on how we differ, but how we are alike." Goodwin sat down again, and the cheerleaders voiced their praise.

"Let us begin the Fortune Cup! A computer will randomly decide who gets to duel who!" the announcer cried after a moment's hesitation.

A large holographic screen appeared above the platform. At the top, in purple letters, it stated: Round One. Names began to swiftly appear and disappear in the boxes like the slots of a lottery machine until finally they slowed, naming the battles.

1. Luna vs. Greiger

2. Krisa Sato vs. Gill de Randsborg

3. Aki Izayoi vs. Commander Koda

4. Talia Miyamoto vs. Angie Smith

5. Yusei Fudo vs. Shira

6. Professor Frank vs. Gale Grahams

"Looks like Luna and Greiger are up first! There will be a fifteen minute intermission before the first duel begins!"

As they all made their way to the break room, Leo approached the three with the prison marks, all trying to reassure the other.

"So your name is Yusei?" Leo asked. "That doesn't sound too super heroish to me. I was thinking something like Clark or…Xavier! Hey, can you believe it? I'm going first! I appreciate how Mr. Greiger stood up for you guys and everything, but I'm totally going to cream him!"

"Go get 'em, Leo." Krisa grinned and ruffled his hair.

"You know him, too?" Talia asked.

Krisa nodded, relieved that Talia seemed to have calmed down after earlier. "Yeah, I used to babysit Leo and Luna before my parents died…I went to the orphanage, but then I left and I've been living in Satellite ever since."

"I tried to convince Mom and Dad to let you stay," Leo said. "But I think Dad thought he'd have to pay you 24/7."

Krisa laughed. "Let's head to the break room.

"I can't! I gotta get ready for my duel with Mr. Greiger!" Leo said, running to get his duel disk before locking himself in a bedroom.

Krisa laughed again and the remaining three went to the break room. A counter in the back of the room had been stocked with snacks and a mini fridge of drinks. Krisa went over to get a bowl of popcorn and joined her friends.

"What do you guys think about your opponents?" Krisa asked, popping a piece into her mouth.

"Shira seems kind of creepy," Yusei stated, biting his lip. "I really hope he isn't as good as they say he is."

"They never are," Talia said bitterly, crossing her arms across her chest, before her tone change completely. "It'd be cool to duel Angie. I actually didn't know she was that good of a duelist. And what happened to her marker?"

No one could answer that question as Krisa bit her lip and lowered her gaze. So Talia was still mad about that morning…What had happened, anyway?

"So, why'd you help Jack, Krisa?"

Krisa flushed, biting her lip again. "It's the least I could do…I would've done the same for anyone else…" she explained. It sounded pathetic, even to her.

"Even Jack Atlas?" Talia asked, her tone incredulous. "Krisa, he's a total jerk!"

"He can't be that bad," Krisa murmured.

"Oh, trust me, he can be," Talia said, before she explained Jack's history with Yusei, which he had told her that morning, and had led her to attack the Australian.

Krisa grimaced. "He…He must've been confused…" she offered lamely.

Talia laughed bitterly. "Oh, sure he was. I didn't see any of my scratches on his face…Did you have something to do with that?"

Krisa's cheeks were now cherry red. "Yeah…I…I let him borrow some concealer…" she said, fidgeting uncomfortably on the couch.

Yusei laughed as Talia flushed angrily.

"Krisa, he deserved to be humiliated," Talia growled.

"Sorry…" Krisa prayed that someone would change the subject…Otherwise, they'd all figure out she had a crush on Jack…

"What did Goodwin say to you?" Yusei finally asked.

Krisa bit her lip once again. She couldn't tell them...Goodwin had told her not to…"Well…My name wasn't in the database, so he had to call me so that he could get to know me better…" Krisa hoped that that excuse didn't sound as pathetic as her other ones.

"But how'd he even hear about you?" Talia asked, suspicious.

Krisa cringed slightly but quickly regained her composure. She hated lying to her friends, but Goodwin had told her not to…"The papers I guess. As you kinda heard earlier, I was actually pretty popular in smaller tournaments when I had lived in New Domino…But, that was a long time ago…"

Before Talia or Yusei could ask any more questions, Leo returned. He rested his hands on his hips and nodded.

"Yep, I'm going to destroy this Greiger dude."

"We'll see, kid." Greiger walked up behind him, making Leo jump.

"Oh, hey, Greiger," Leo laughed, forcing his voice to sound high-pitched. "It's a great honor being able to duel you."

"You, too," Greiger replied with a slight smile. "I've heard so much about you."

The intercom boomed, "The first duel of the first round, Luna vs. Greiger, will begin in five minutes."

"Well, that's our cue. It was nice meeting you three, as well." Greiger nodded to Talia, Krisa, and Yusei before turning to leave, adjusting the duel disk strapped to his arm.

Leo followed, but stopped and looked back at them nervously. Talia and Yusei smiled warmly.

Krisa grinned. "Good luck," she mouthed.


	6. The Starting Duels

Chapter Six: The Starting Duels

**Disclaimer: I only own Krisa.**

Krisa sat down on the couch in front of the TV that had been placed in the break room for the duelists to witness each others' duels. She took a shaky breath. She was worried for Leo…and worried about the fact that Talia and Yusei seemed so concerned for her. If they kept probing her for answers, she'd break down and tell them everything…Talia and Yusei joined her, as well as two other duelists: Angie Smith and Gale Grahams.

Krisa stood and retreated to the snack counter again, picking out snacks and drinks to bring back with her. She purposely took her time so she could think, and calm herself down.

_It's no big deal…Leo can take care of himself…But what about Talia and Yusei? They can't know about what went down with Goodwin…I can't tell them…I can't…Agh! What am I supposed to do…?_

She returned to the couch carrying the snacks.

"Anyone up for a gamble?" Angie drawled as she approached, before snatching a bottle of cream soda from her arms. She glared at the bottle. "Ain't there any beer here?" she muttered.

The Grahams woman adjusted her glasses. "I doubt they would want the children to have a role model that's drunk and vomiting in the arena," she said coolly, gray eyes narrowed.

"Chill, lady. I was joking. Besides, it's not like my duel's today."

"Actually…Goodwin said that the order of the duels aren't the order they were shown in. That just shows who's dueling who…" Krisa pressed her lips together, realizing she had said too much.

"Since when are you all buddy-buddy with Goodwin?" Talia demanded coldly.

"It's better to be friends with the Director than with a murderer," Gale said icily.

Talia's expression was horrified.

Yusei jumped to his feet. "Talia isn't a murderer!" he defended, his tone furious.

"Jeez! I just wanted to know if there was anyone willing to place bets on who would win the tournament. I didn't think it'd come down to this!" Angie said, hands up as if in surrender.

The silence was tense. Yusei's eyes were blazing angrily. Gale stared at Talia with malice. Talia's lip trembled. Angie looked back and forth between the three. Krisa watched her friend and glanced over at the TV.

"They just started the duel," she said softly, hoping to break the tension.

Greiger had one face-down and two monsters that looked a bit like helicopters. Leo had out two face-downs, and a monster in attack mode, reminiscent of a cell phone.

"Morphtronic Cell-Phon…Of course…It's a favorite…" Krisa murmured.

Greiger's face was expressionless, whereas Leo looked panicked. It was no wonder, seeing where their life points stood: Leo with 1700, and Greiger with 3500.

"Damn…Come on, Leo…" Krisa breathed.

"Leo? But that's a dude's name…" Angie said.

Krisa clapped a hand over her mouth. _Oops…_

"Uh…'Leo' is her middle name," Yusei said.

Krisa shot him a grateful look. "Yeah, and I call her 'Leo' sometimes. It fits, too, because her favorite animals are lions…" She glanced at Talia sympathetically, before turning her attention to the TV as Greiger summoned a third helicopter-like monster.

"Looks like little Luna's in trouble," Angie murmured.

"I hope he—I mean she! I hope _she _can pull this off," Krisa said, cursing herself as she once again clamped her hand over her mouth. She met Yusei's eyes and stood. "I'll be in the restroom," she murmured, running off before she slipped up again.

When she finally chanced to return to her seat, Leo's life points plummeted to zero, and he sank to his knees. She bit her lip, clinging to the hem of her jacket.

"Looks like she's gonna wet herself," Angie muttered.

"He hasn't wet himself in years!" Krisa turned red both at the horrible defense, and at the fact she had again forgotten that Leo was standing in for Luna.

Angie's voice dripped with sarcasm. "What an accomplishment."

Krisa glared at the blonde girl, and noticed that on the TV, Greiger had approached Leo. They spoke for a bit, before they heard the announcer's voice in the distance as the two duelists left the arena.

"Greiger has beat out Luna, and will be moving on to the next round! Congratulations, Greiger, and good try, Luna!"

When Greiger and Leo returned to the break room, Krisa glomped Leo. "Good try," she whispered.

"Krisa…You're kind suffocating me!"

"Sorry." She released her grip and stood, looking up at Greiger. "Thank you for not rubbing it in hi-her face about winning. Her and her brother mean a lot to me."

He smiled sadly. "I would never dream of it. I have…three younger siblings at home. They mean the world to me…" He looked around the break room, then he turned and retreated to his room.

"I've just pulled the next pair out for their duel! In twenty minutes, we will be having Miss Talia Miyamoto and Miss Angie Smith!" the announcer's voice sounded in the distance and over the intercom system.

Krisa looked over and noticed that while Angie seemed psyched, Talia looked like she was in a trance. She frowned, worried for her friend. Yusei sat beside her, and his presence seemed to calm her down, because she smiled at him before leaving the room to prepare for her duel. Krisa smiled, both relieved and amused. Perhaps Alex had been aiming for the right target when he had teased them about being a couple…

* * *

Krisa sat down on the couch again, staring off into nothing while she waited for the duel to start. Her mind wandered, remembering what had happened to her before this point, that had led her to be sitting here at the Fortune Cup as another puppet for Goodwin.

"The duel between Talia Miyamoto and Angie Smith will begin in five minutes!"

"I'll go get her…" Yusei got to his feet and left the room to look for Talia.

Krisa smiled again. _They _definitely_ like each other…_

When Yusei returned, Talia and Angie entered the arena together, greeted by cheers and boos. "Here we are, folks! The second duel of the Fortune Cup, Talia Miyamoto versus Angie Smith!"

The two girls retreated to opposite ends of the dueling space, drawing five cards from their deck. Angie placed two face-down cards and a third card in face-up attack position, one that Krisa wasn't too familiar with. Talia frowned and placed one face-down card, and another in defense mode. After a few exchanges of moves, Talia took a direct hit to her life points.

Krisa bit her lip. Talia's expression remained firm, despite the resounding cheers, supporting Angie's attack, and the fact that her life points had dwindled down to 1800. Angie's expression turned smug as Talia returned a card from her hand to her deck. Talia swiped a hand across her brow, but, otherwise, she remained unfazed as she set a monster card and placed another card face-down.

"She's awfully calm about this…" Yusei murmured.

Krisa nodded her agreement, her eyes glued to the screen.

Angie attacked Talia's monster card, but instead of destroying it, she caused a flip-summon. The monster that had attacked was sent to Angie's graveyard while the one that had been flip-summoned went to Talia's, along with the top three cards of her deck. Talia then special summoned a monster from her graveyard.

The crowd booed as Angie frowned and set a face-down card. Talia drew a card from her deck, and Krisa barely noticed the slight twitch of her lips as she fought a smile. Talia returned the monster she had special summoned to the graveyard in order to tribute summon an angelic-looking monster card. Talia looked like she was about to activate the effect of her new monster, but Angie activated the trap card, Negate Effect.

Talia frowned, but managed to at least do something by attacking Angie's life points directly, bringing her down to 1700. The crowd fell silent, a shocked hush hanging in the air.

"Looks like Miss Miyamoto has managed to get in the lead by a measly 100 life points!" the announcer said, and the crowd booed.

Talia and Angie exchanged a few words, and Talia's face finally showed some emotion. She looked as if she had a difficult decision to make, one she'd rather not make. Angie drew another card, and smiled. She summoned it, and activated a spell card. Due to the spell's effect, Talia's life points dropped down to 200, and the crowd broke out into cheers.

"No…" Krisa breathed, gripping the edges of the couch, unconsciously leaning forward. "Come on, Talia…"

Talia ordered an attack, but Angie activated the trap card she still had on the field. Talia's monster seemed disoriented as the life points of the two duelists switched, leaving Talia with 1700 and Angie with 200.

"What the—? What is she thinking?" Yusei wondered aloud.

Krisa was wondering the same thing. How the hell did that move make sense? And why was Angie _pleased _with the outcome? But Krisa's eyes widened in horror when control of Talia's monster and face-down card went over to Angie. Talia was shaking, but then she stopped, surprised. She drew the top card from her deck, and her eyes widened. She sent that card to the graveyard, and summoned a Dragon-type monster to the field. Angie looked horrified as the dragon roared and caused her life points to become nonexistent.

The crowd was deathly quiet.

"You've seen it here, folks! Talia Miyamoto will be moving on to the next round! Sorry, Angie, but looks like you're out of the tournament!"

The two duelists left the quiet arena and returned to the break room. Angie looked like she was going to hurl, and Talia just looked disbelieving. Krisa ran over and clasped Talia's hands in hers.

"Congratulations!"

Talia blinked, and smiled slightly. "Thanks…"

"You did well," Yusei added, coming towards them, causing Talia's cheeks to turn a light shade of pink.

Krisa fought back a giggle and stepped back. "Well, this is getting intense. I wonder who's going next…"

"Well, after that surprising turn-out, it looks like the duels are only to get more interesting from here-on-in! And the next duel for today is Krisa Sato versus Gill de Randsborg, which will begin in twenty minutes!" the announcer's voice called out.

Krisa blanched. _Already…? I'm not ready…I can't do this!_ She clenched her fists to try to mask her trembling, but she still quivered.

"Hey, don't worry, Krisa. You'll be fine," Talia said, noticing her break-down.

Krisa looked up and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks." _I have to do this…Damn you, Goodwin…_


	7. Emergence

Chapter Seven: Emergence

**Disclaimer: I only own Krisa.**

**Note: I'm finally updating! Whoo! Anyway, this was a **_**very **_**difficult chapter, since, after the plans I made with Olive Pizza, this is a duel between an OC and a canon character. I used the episode where Randsborg dueled Aki as a sort of inspiration/guide to write this duel. Also, since it does contain an OC, and spellfur decided to help me, I have an unusually large amount of made-up cards (more than I thought I would ^^;)…Please bear with me on that part. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!**

Krisa bit her lip and stepped out into the arena. She looked around, taking note of the obvious mixed emotions in the crowd; some were cheering for the return of The Phoenix, while others only saw the yellow marks on her face, condemning her. She suddenly shivered; she felt as if she were being watched, not by the crowd, but rather by something that was more powerful and maybe even more menacing than an average person…However, she knew she had to focus on the duel, so she shook her head slightly and tried to fight the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Her opponent, Gill de Randsborg, appeared on the opposite end of the field, his armor flashing in the bright lights of the arena.

"Now, we begin the third duel of the Fortune Cup! After the surprising conclusion of the previous duel, and though she's been out of practice, maybe we should keep an eye on Miss Sato!" the announcer called, but a good majority of the crowd didn't seem to want to agree with him. On the contrary, they cheered on Randsborg with increased passion.

"Be sure to send her back where she belongs!"

"She needs to learn her place!"

"Crush her!"

Randsborg drew the sword in the sheath at his hip and held it up triumphantly. "Fellow citizens, I believe not in fighting against a maiden, for it goes against a knight's code of chivalry. But for thine approval, I will fight this maiden that hath turned away from lady-like charm and committed crimes most foul!"

The audience screamed even more in approval.

Krisa blinked. This guy was taking his costume way too seriously…

Even the announcer thought so as he teasingly said, "While I try to make sense of what our knight just said, let the duel begin!"

"I apologize to thee in advance, fair maiden, but I will defeat thee in this duel." With a sweep of his cloak, he revealed the golden and unusually-crafted duel disk strapped to his forearm.

"We'll see," she replied and held up the arm that held her duel disk.

"Let's duel!"

"I will begin," Randsborg declared, drawing a card from his deck before choosing one from the six in his hand. "I summon Masked Knight, Level the Third, to aid me in my battle." An armor-clad monster appeared on the field. "And due to this knight's special ability, thou shall lose four hundred life points."

Krisa took a deep breath and briefly closed her eyes. She hadn't dueled in a while, and she needed to focus. She opened her eyes again, knowing that she could still easily turn the duel around. She hadn't taken too much damage yet…

"I shall then activate the Spell Card, Level Up!, in order to summon Masked Knight, Level the Fifth, to my aid! This knight's special ability shall cut down thy life points by one thousand."

Krisa ignored the cheering crowd, still relatively calm as she watched her opponent set a face-down and end his turn.

"Looks like our little lady may be in trouble!" the announcer proclaimed. "What will she do now?"

Krisa drew a card from her deck and looked at the hand she held. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your face-down!" A small hologram of a tornado and lightning overturned and destroyed Randsborg's trap card. "I then set one face-down monster and summon Hand of Nephthys in defense mode and end my turn."

"Uh-oh, looks like this may be over sooner than we thought, folks! It would appear that Gill de Randsborg has cornered Krisa Sato into a full defense!"

"Has thy deck failed thee, maiden?"

"Of course not," Krisa told him, still very calm. "I just don't believe in finishing something before it's even begun."

"Thy words are bold, maiden…I shall attack thy Hand of Nephthys, and we shall see if thee still retainth thy boldness."

Krisa's card was sent to her graveyard and she smirked. "When another monster I have on the field is destroyed, I can flip summon Phoenix Fire and activate its special ability! My phoenix can now attack your life points directly!"

The small bird flew across the field, opening its beak and sending a pillar of fire down on Randsborg before returning to Krisa's side of the field. Krisa was in the lead by 200 life points, standing at 2600 while Randsborg was now at 2400. When she looked, she saw that her opponent's cape was smoldering slightly at the edges, and his armor seemed to be…cooling off.

"What art thou?" he exclaimed, hopping from one foot to the other, as if he had experienced actual heat from the attack. "A witch?"

Krisa blinked in surprise. Had her attack physically affected him…?

"Or I could be wrong again, folks! Looks like Miss Sato knows her stuff!"

"If thou art a witch, then I swear that I shall defeat thee! Masked Knight, Level the Fifth, strike down Phoenix Fire!"

The attack sent Krisa's monster to her graveyard and put her at 1900 life points. _Okay…Now I might actually be in trouble…_

"I then end my turn. What shall ye do now, maiden?"

Krisa took another steadying breath. She drew a card from her deck, and her eyes widened. _I can't believe it…I'll finish this in no time…!_

"I play the spell card Phoenix Call to summon Phoenix Flower to the field. I also summon Dragon Phoenix." Two phoenixes appeared on the field, on with feathers that looked more scale-like, and one with a flower on a ribbon encircling its head. "I then sacrifice both of my creatures to synchro summon Phoenix King!" The two phoenixes disappeared from the field, and with a surprising gust of warm wind, in their place stood a monster that looked almost like an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh with a phoenix perched on his forearm. "And for every phoenix that I have in my graveyard or on the field, Phoenix King gains five hundred attack and defense points to what it already has. And since I have three phoenixes in my Graveyard, he now has 3700 attack points. When I equip Phoenix King with the spell Phoenix Wings, he can now attack you directly."

The phoenix perched on the monster's arm grew bigger as its attack points increased, and a faded, second pair of wings hovered over its original ones. Letting out a shriek, the bird took flight and flew across the field, sending a series of fireballs raining down on Randsborg. He cried out in pain as the flames touched him.

Krisa shivered. His screams, his _pain_,sounded too real…What had she done? Finally, the phoenix returned to its perch, and all the holograms faded away.

Randsborg's cape was now full of burn holes, his armor glowing with heat. He glared up at Krisa. His voice no longer held its Shakespearean cadences as he said, "What in the world _are_ you!" He then fell to his knees and passed out.

Krisa stood there, dumbfounded, as a small team of paramedics rushed into the arena and carried Randsborg away. The crowd broke out into whispers, disbelieving of what they had just seen, both in the sense that Krisa had won, and in what she had done to her opponent. Krisa shivered, and looked around at the people in the audience, looking for the source of her discomfort…And then she pinpointed it. High up in the stands, not sitting with the rest of the crowd, but standing at the edge of one of the exits, was a figure wearing a trench coat. She tried to focus on the figure, but the announcer's voice broke through her reverie.

"Two wins in a row! Looks like we had better keep an eye out on the duelists with markers, folks! I bet the other contestants are a little intimidated now! Congratulations, Miss Sato, you are moving on to the next round!"

Krisa blinked and looked away from the person in the trench coat. She had won…She allowed herself a small smile and hurried out of the arena. As the elevator carried her up to the floor where the break room was, she shook with fear. What had she done? Who had been watching her?

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Leo and Luna were the first to congratulate her, attacking her with hugs and praise. When she finally managed to escape the twins, she looked up to see Talia and Yusei standing in the doorway of the break room.

Yusei shook her hand and congratulated her, but his eyes betrayed the confusion he had felt as he had watched her duel.

Talia gave her hug, but when she pulled away, she whispered, "What was that…?"

Krisa shook her head. "I don't know…I really don't know…"


	8. Everybody's Fool

Chapter Eight: Everybody's Fool

**Disclaimer: I only own Krisa.**

**Note: This fanfiction is like a companion story to my friend's fanfiction, "The Sixth Signer", which I have posted on my account as a favor to her. We have both finally gotten to the point in the story where our plotlines branch off in separate directions, since our individual fanfictions follow different main characters.**

Krisa felt sick to her stomach. First of all, this whole, twisted tournament, and the real reason Goodwin had set it all up. Then there was what had happened in the arena during her duel, and the apparent fact that her monsters attacks were real. And finally, there was the suspicion clear in Talia's eyes. The purple-haired girl knew that Krisa was hiding something, but thankfully didn't ask any questions, although she was probably dying to do so. And even if she did, what would Krisa say…?

The knot in her stomach tightened when Lazar entered the room and, after making a show of congratulating all the other duelists that had gone that first day, he went up to her.

"Excellent work today, Miss Sato," he told her with one of his almost-evil grins, indiscreetly slipping her a small cream-colored envelope.

Krisa looked around the room, making sure no one was watching, before she slipped out the door and found the nearest bathroom and quickly locked herself in one of the stalls. She opened the envelope and read the note. She swallowed hard, trying to force down the bile in her throat; Goodwin had requested her presence in his room that evening. She crushed the paper and squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry in frustration. No one needed to know about this, and she wasn't going to risk it by simply throwing the note in a wastebasket. She unclenched her fist and tore the note into small pieces before flushing them away. She took a deep breath to steady herself and left the bathroom.

Krisa forced a smile as she helped Leo and Luna load their plates from the mini-buffet that had been set up for the duelists in a separate room. After she chose a table for them to sit at together, she returned to the buffet with the hope that a little bit of food might calm her down. She helped herself to some rice, and then turned and ran into someone. Her plate clattered against the hard floor, echoing in the large room.

"Sorry, sorry…!" She looked up and her breath caught in her throat.

"Watch where you're goin'!" Jack's voice was clearly irritated.

Krisa flushed and dipped her head in apology. "I'm really sorry…"

Jack scoffed. "I still don't understand what Goodwin means to do by bringing all these prisoners here…"

She was still red as she looked away.

"I know you helped me earlier, but that doesn't mean anything."

She nodded once.

"Hey!"

Krisa looked over to see Talia storming over to them. She glanced at Jack, remembering the incident in the recreation room that morning. Talia stopped before them, hands on hips.

"What are you doing here, Barbie doll? I thought you have a nice little room at Goodwin's mansion, so why are you still hanging around here?"

"Well, I guess you didn't get the memo that we're supposed to be stayin' here until the end of the tournament."

"No, I don't think I did. But does that give you an excuse to be picking on others? I thought that bothering with smaller duelists was something that wasn't worthy of your time."

"You're only here because Goodwin apparently sees something in you that isn't there," Jack told her before turning his gaze to Krisa. "You stay out of my business, okay?" He then stalked out of the room.

Talia sighed and glanced at Krisa. Her eyes betrayed her pain, but she still said nothing about her suspicions. "Why didn't you just punch him in the face? You did it at the Facility, remember?"

Krisa said nothing and knelt down to pick up her fallen plate.

"I've got it, miss," a young man said, hurrying forward and worked on tidying up the mess.

Krisa nodded and turned back to the buffet, getting a second plate and filling it with food. She felt Talia's gaze boring into her, searching for answers, and she slowly began to lose her appetite. Krisa headed over to the table where Leo and Luna were sitting at, where Yusei had joined them, and could tell that Talia was following. The girls sat down.

Thankfully, Leo was still full of energy, and distracted them all by prattling on and on about the three duels that had happened that day. Krisa picked at her food, knowing that Talia was still staring daggers at her and Yusei seemed to be concerned for her. She also knew that she would have to meet with the Director soon. Once the twins had finished eating, Krisa pushed back her chair.

"Alright, you two, bedtime. It's been a long day…" She purposefully avoided looking at Yusei and Talia as she shepherded the twins to their bedrooms. She tucked them both in before she took a deep breath and headed for Goodwin's room.

When she knocked, Mina answered. "Good evening, Miss Sato. The Director has been waiting for you."

Krisa said nothing as the blue-haired assistant ushered her in and led her over to a group of couches that were arranged in front of a fireplace. Standing in front of the fireplace, with his back to the room, was Goodwin. At his side was Lazar, and Jack lounged in one of the couches. Mina directed her to sit in the couch opposite from Goodwin.

"Miss Sato is here, Mr. Goodwin."

Jack glared at her, and she looked away, blushing.

Goodwin turned to face her with what could easily be mistaken as a warm, welcoming smile. "I'm glad you could join me this evening, Miss Sato. Jack, I request that you return to your room. You must rest up for tomorrow."

"Yeah, whatever…" He got to his feet, anyway, and he and Mina left the room.

"Have you eaten yet, Miss Sato?"

"Well, not exactly…" she replied, thinking back on the plate of food she had merely picked at not too long ago.

"Then you shall join me," Goodwin told her, gesturing to a table at another end of the room. Like a gentleman, he pulled out her chair for her before sitting at the head of the table with Lazar standing at his side. A young woman came in and set two silver platters on the table before hurrying out again.

Krisa watched Goodwin as he carefully cut a piece of steak. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Why in such a hurry, Miss Sato? We have plenty of time to discuss certain matters, so, for now, please help yourself."

Krisa stifled a sigh and cut into the steak on her plate. Despite her anxiety, her eyes widened, recognizing the taste of well-prepared food. She chewed slowly, admiring the cook's choice of marinade and cut, the amount of time they had used to bring the meat to a perfect medium-rare…The rest of the meal was no less delicious.

Finally, Goodwin stood and pulled back her chair, gesturing to the couches by the fireplace. She sat in one opposite from Goodwin's armchair. Almost like a guard dog, Lazar stood at his side.

"Miss Sato, I would first like to discuss your duel with Mr. Randsborg this afternoon."

Krisa bit her lip and looked down at her hands, which were resting in her lap. "I-I don't know what happened…."

Goodwin was silent for a while, and Krisa had a feeling that he didn't believe her, and would demand to know what she had done. However, when he spoke, it wasn't what she had expected. "Well, you don't have to worry about the public. I've ensured that Mr. Randsborg will inform the citizens of Neo Domino that it was all a use of special effects that he agreed to be the test subject for, and that you were uninformed of this development so that your reactions were real, thus furthering the illusion caused by the special effects. He told the public that he found you after the duel and explained the entire ploy to you, and that, while you were surprised, you were not anger that we had lied to you."

Krisa nodded, relief spreading through her.

"Now, on to more important matters. The Signers."

She looked into his face.

"I have told you that the Signers are vital to creating a utopia, and that the purpose of this tournament is to identify them."

"Yes."

"It is now time I inform you of who I suspect are these powerful Signers. First, I know for certain that Jack Atlas is one of them. I've known for a while, and this is why I first brought him out of the Satellite and took him on as my apprentice."

She nodded her understanding, a knot forming in her stomach.

"As for who I believe are Signers…Miss Aki Izayoi, Mr. Yusei Fudo, Miss Talia Miyamoto, and Miss Luna."

The knot in her stomach tightened when he mentioned Yusei, and again when he said Talia's name. And when he told her he suspected Luna of being a Signer, she jumped to her feet.

"If you do anything to Luna…!"

"You'll what, Miss Sato?" Goodwin said, dangerously amused. "Don't forget that you promised to help me reveal the Signers, and what you have at stake. Also remember that these people are ones that I _suspect _of being Signers. As of now, I have no guarantee that they are the ones I am looking for."

Krisa swallowed, knowing full well that with a snap of his fingers, Goodwin could easily send her right back to the Facility. She slowly sat back down.

"Now, I have arranged for a change in the tournament rules. Tomorrow, there will be a supposed drawing for a consolation duel, and Miss Luna will be chosen for it for sure. I have a suspicion that she wasn't actually dueling, today. I have seen, after all, that she has a twin brother."

She grimaced, knowing that Goodwin was right.

"Tomorrow night, I will be hosting a small dinner to congratulate the duelists that have thus far participated in the tournament."

She nodded. "Alright."

He smiled his supposedly warm smile again. "That is all for now, Miss Sato. Rest up. I expect a lot from you in the coming days."

She nodded and stood up. However, she stopped at the door, twisting her head to look back over her shoulder. "Mr. Goodwin…You keep telling me I have to help you identify these Signers…How am I supposed to do that, exactly?"

"All I want you to do is duel at the top of your game, Miss Sato. Perhaps we can even bring back the name 'The Phoenix' to the papers, hmm?"

"But—"

"I have scientists helping me identify the Signers. As I said, all I want you to worry about is dueling at your best."

She nodded and stepped out into the hallway. The door was only partially closed when she heard the two men speak with each other.

"At least she's not as spirited as Miss Miyamoto…" Goodwin sighed.

"I doubt she's even realized the emptiness of your promises, sir."

"She's being ruled by her heart. That makes it all the easier to earn her cooperation."

Krisa closed her eyes and grimaced. She had had a feeling that Goodwin had been lying to her, but that didn't make her any less angry at herself for being such a fool. She quietly closed the door all the way and walked back to her room with a heavy heart.


End file.
